Rhonda Thurman Is Out Of Touch With District 1 Residents - And Response (2)

Sunday, August 10, 2014

Now that the election is over, maybe Mrs. Thurman has realized that the people in District 1 wanted a new type of leadership. I know she said she knew what the people wanted, but maybe she has loss touch with the people.

The election turned out more voters than in past elections and she could only get about 1/3 of those to vote for her or whoever they may have written in, Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck, Geno Shiipley or someone else.

It is hard to get people to vote; many will run their mouth and say a lot, but are not a registered voter or will not go and vote no matter what the issues are or who is running.

There were some complaints that the elected officials of Soddy Daisy hurt her because they supported Mr. Fairbanks. She and everyone else must realize those are the ones that the voters wanted in office and must be pleased with their work. When attending the meetings you will seldom see anyone speak out against the way things are run or the way the leaders vote on items. The meetings are open and there is a time at the meeting, Anyone may speak about any subject that they wish. All they have to do is state their name and address and they are free to speak.

Maybe Rhonda needs to look at what we the people of District 1 said on Aug. 7 and learn from it. She is out ofstep with the majority of District 1 or at least the ones that vote.

She still may be on the school board for two more years, but she needs to work for better government and the wishes of the people not just her thinking on subjects. That is not what the voters want from her; she is there as the voice of the people from District 1.

Margaret H. Chastain

* * *

To cite that Rhonda Thurman only received 1/3 of the total District 1 County Commissioner seat discounts several irrefutable facts. Number one, a write-in candidate has never won an election in Hamilton County. Ms. Thurman was behind the campaign timeline curve from the beginning starting after Randy Fairbanks won the seat. The is why write-in campaigns fail so often; they are a last resort.

There is also little anyone can teach Ms. Thurman about taking on the strongest educational lobbies in Hamilton County that exist to acquire lucrative taxpayer contracts for consulting, namely the Public Education Foundation. This power house organization has long targeted Ms. Thurman as enemy number one, because she consistently outs them for robbing the taxpayers with consulting contracts.

Secondly, Ms. Chastain there is also little you can tell Ms. Thurman regarding the role of protecting taxpayer resources. On a regular basis, Ms. Thurman is the lone ranger between these absurd robberies of public funds that are contracts for friends.

I guess when you have placed yourself between a power house lobby and taxpayers funds a decade, you can judge Ms. Thurman’s political position in District 1, my new home.

In the interim, the majority of elected officials are spineless, go along to get along, no matter what the implications are to the taxpayers. We need more watchdogs like Thurman to examine contracts intended to fleece the taxpayers.

I am no personal fan of Ms. Thurman, but she is the ultimate elected watch dog for the public.

April Eidson

* * *

Ms. Chastain, you're right, she is out of touch with lying, cheating, and political shenanigans. I doubt she is “out of touch” with anything else. The numbers were simple…the Republican vote split and the Democrat vote went for Fairbanks. Rhonda received 4,000 votes two years ago and the same number four years before that. I doubt she got “out of touch” that quickly.

I grew up in Soddy-Daisy and know the players. I know their histories and some of the things that they have done. My father was a commissioner and mayor of Soddy-Daisy and had his run-ins with some of those people. He wasn’t treated too well by them either. He just wouldn't go along with their type of "government" and he was a Democrat too. He was honest.

The comments on the mechanics of this coup were dead on. The political shenanigans and double dealing were pretty dirty. We heard the lies being told by your side about how Rhonda said “Democrats shouldn't be able to vote” and “there was a plot for Fred to win and then retire and appoint Rhonda.” Anyone that knows the County Commission make up knows that was bunk.

As far as Randy Fairbanks goes, he has sold his soul to the devil. He will vote for a “necessary tax increase” next year because there is no way he can keep all those promises he made to virtually everybody and his brother. That is his political payback for the Democrat support he has gotten. There is no way around it, he won the first and second time because of Democrat support.

I hope the Hamilton County Republican Party is proud that Geno Shipley picked the District 1 commissioner.

Tim Price
Hixson

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Ms. Chastain, well said. I am a resident of District 1. I have voted for Rhonda Thurman and Fred Skillern in the past, but felt like it was time for a change in our area. Instead of things getting better; they only got worse. A large part of District 1 is Soddy Daisy, did she or Fred ever attend commission meetings? I feel that it is very important to have the support of the commissioners in Soddy Daisy because they have to work together.

Ms. Eidson, Rhonda is a watchdog, but it has gotten to a point where you go beyond being a dutiful watchdog and turn into a vicious attack dog and unfortunately that is what has happened in the last several years with Mrs. Thurman. The District 1 schools were much better before she took over as a Hamilton County School Board member. There was as small period when they improved after she was elected, but the pats on the back that she received for being someone who wasn’t afraid to say no, turned her into someone that I was not proud that I voted for.

Mr. Price, I too grew up in Soddy Daisy (and still live here). I know the “players,” their histories and what they have done. I know that these “players” get the job done and are active members of the community. They don’t just put their face on a sign, create a website and then “attend” functions by sitting in the corner, huffing and puffing and making snide comments like I saw Mrs. Thurman do over the past few months. Saying that Mr. Fairbanks has “sold his soul to the devil” is ludicrous when you obviously have no idea anything about his values and character. He didn’t make “promises” as far as I am aware. If so, can you prove he did? And what were they? Mr. Shipley has been a member of the community his entire life, he knows the workings of the city and he has done a good job (considering he keeps getting re-elected). He most certainly did not pick the District 1 commissioner and I know this for a fact.

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